


Unravelled

by Zephyrox



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Het Relationship, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Heterosexuality, Love, Manga, One Shot, POV Kaneki Ken, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 19:37:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10997601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrox/pseuds/Zephyrox
Summary: Spoiler alert: This scene happens immediately after Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 125, so if you haven't read it, get outta here! Also, this is written before the release of Chapter 126, so please excuse the inconsistency if any.





	Unravelled

White. Everything is white. Kaneki Ken finds himself stranded in this empty world where there is nothing but endless white.

 _"Is this... the afterlife?"_ He ponders as his feet carry him around aimlessly, searching for the slightest hint of his whereabouts. Suddenly, the corner of his eyes registers the color of blue, and he stumbles upon a lake, so large and endless that it might have been the sea. The lake water stays so still that he feels the time has stopped. So calm, so serene. He pauses his pace, his eyes wide in surprise and recognition; the lake reminds him of the one where he tried to wade into the deep and drown himself when he was at the brink of his death during the battle with Arima. But unlike the lake that time which was eerily black and morbid, this one is dyed clear blue and lively.

A face of a certain someone comes to mind. Kaneki glances around as if searching for something, but he doesn't know what he is expecting to see. But he does spot a silhouette sitting by the lake, gazing into the distance, legs dangling at the edge of the lake. A closer look reveals that the silhouette has a familiar blonde hair with a brown patch in its crown. Kaneki holds his breath when the figure senses his presence and turns its head to his direction. As the person's face comes into his view, a wave of relief runs through his whole body, making him almost lose the strength to stand.

"Hide," Kaneki breathes in awe. Hide looks just like how he remembers him to be. Just one glance from Hide's brown eyes is enough to brighten up his world again. Hide greets him with a broad grin, his right hand patting on the ground beside him. Kaneki is surprised that he himself can be so calm right now; his long lost best friend is there, alive, and if they were to meet each other under normal circumstances he would have been so overwhelmed with emotions, dashed towards him with lightning speed and given him the tightest, warmest hug his arms could ever afford to do so. But no, he knows better as he has come to realize that everything in this world is merely a mental projection inside his head. Instead, he casually ambles towards his childhood best friend, and casually accepts the gesture that invites him to sit down beside him by the lake.

"Congrats on losing your virginity."

Hide’s sudden congratulatory message catches Kaneki off guard, causing his face to immediately turn beet red. He gapes at Hide while frantically searching for words to reply, scenes of him doing _that thing_ with Touka flashing before his eyes, but no words are able to come out except a loud and embarrassed "Hide!", followed by a light punch on Hide's arm, which is responded with Hide's laughter.

"Hey, I'm jealous that you're one step ahead of me, okay?!" Hide playfully wraps his arm around Kaneki's head and ruffles his snow white hair. The pleasant warmth of Hide's voice and touch flows through Kaneki's heart and melts him whole. Oh, how he misses him.

"So, how did your first time go?" Hide’s statement startles Kaneki again.

"Well, I-I uh... honestly don't remember much," Kaneki mumbles while silently apologizing because there is absolutely no way he will describe such embarrassing things to Hide even though he is his best friend, a mental construct at that.

"You're not a very good liar, you know that? C'mon, don't be shy to share with me!" Hide coos and presses Kaneki further.

"S-Shut up, Hide! I'm telling the truth!" Hide being able to see through his lie makes Kaneki want to dig a hole and hide in it.

"How did you know what to do on your first time anyway? You learned them from watching porn right?" Hide continues teasing a very embarrassed Kaneki.

"That's not true! I-I don't know! It kinda just happened!" Kaneki flails his arms around with a silly thought that doing that could help him explain better.

"Hahaha!" Hide gives in and burst into laughter. Kaneki watches his carefree friend and laughs as well.

Ah, to be able to be himself, to have guys' talk and laugh about silly things with Hide. How nostalgic.

"Thank you... for telling me to live," Kaneki murmurs. He wants to thank him more, to tell him more reasons why he is so grateful for him, to show his utmost appreciation for him being his best friend, but he knows that Hide already understands just by these simple words.

It's because he lives, that he is able to see the people who mattered to him smile.

It’s because he lives, that he is able to discover the fear of losing the each other were mutual between him and Touka.

It's because he lives, that he is able to kiss Touka, to touch Touka, to make love to Touka.

It's because he lives, that he is finally able to experience this bittersweet feeling called **love** , which he yearns for so long, so much.

It's all because of Hide that he is ALIVE.

Kaneki feels the pressure around his neck loosen, replaced with a firm grip on his shoulder. He turns to find Hide staring intensely into his eyes, and he anticipates a message to be delivered through that earnest stare.

"You're not lonely anymore. Now, you've got a reason to live. So, thank you for being alive."

Kaneki being thanked for doing something he was asked to. Like a child being praised, he smiles sheepishly when he is affirmed that he is finally doing something right. He feels a heavy weight lifted off his heart, unaware that tears of relief begin rolling down his cheeks.

"No... I've got _another_ reason to live."

Hide has been the first reason for Kaneki to live. Kaneki loves Hide. It is the same love for Touka, but at the same time it is also different. He is still learning to differentiate them, but one thing he knows for sure is that he treasures both of these souls so much, it is actually suffocating.

"Kaneki?"

Upon hearing the voice of his beloved, everything becomes pitch black and Hide disappears into thin air. He tries to open his eyes, but they are heavy and wet. He blinks repeatedly as his wet eyes are trying to adjust to the rays of light that filters in through his eyelids. Apparently, he has come to another realm where he is bathed in warm sunlight. The first thing he sees is Touka's beautiful face, staring at him from above like a bright sun.

"You're crying again... Did you have a bad dream?"

Dream? You mean, you're not part of the dream? So this isn't a dream? I'm not in a dream?

Kaneki's hand unconsciously finds its way to Touka's cheek. The warmth seeps into even the thick kagune scales on his palm. Touka lets out an endearing chuckle and softly wipes of the tears from his face. Her disheveled shirt slides down from her shoulder, revealing her flawless skin underneath. Kaneki blushes at the sight of the alluring curves on her chest, but she doesn't seem fazed at all.

No, this all feels so surreal yet so real. What happened yesterday... did happen after all. The facts that Hide said those things earlier in his dream, that he and Touka had mutual feelings for each other, that they consummated their relationship, that the squishiness of Touka's breasts still lingers on his fingertips, that his head is resting on Touka’s lap right now... everything is slowly sinking in. Kaneki isn't dreaming. He is so happy, he is crying. It is just that his whole life has been such a terrifying mess, and he didn't let anyone into his world except Hide. And now a good thing has finally happened in his life, that ironically he needs more time to accept that this is real.

"No... It was a happy dream. I dreamt about Hide."

Kaneki sits up slowly, then carefully pulls Touka in for a hug, burying his face in the crooks of her neck, her feminine scent drifting up his nose. Touka is surprised, but nevertheless reciprocates the gesture by wrapping her arms around his streamline waist.

"I love you."

At long last, Kaneki summons all his courage to declare his love with the three words that he has never said before in his life, not even to his mother probably. This is the first time he hears himself saying it, and he also feels glad that Touka is the first to hear it. Kaneki feels the arms around him grow tighter, and the next thing he hears, whispered in his ear, fills his cup of bliss to overflowing.

"I love you too."

Kaneki gently pushes Touka away, just enough for him to observe her face and admire her beauty. He sweeps her long bangs behind her ear to uncover half of her face. His eyes switch focus from her lovely eyes to her purple hair, her cute nose, her soft lips, her slender neck, her naked chest… His brain is busy burning this majestic view in his mind permanently, as if he has not already seen them yesterday. He then leans in and closes the distance between them again, planting a kiss on her lips in the most delicate fashion possible.

Touka has just become the whole world to him. And being a virgin in love still, Kaneki is already getting impatient; he wants to do what couples do, and worry about things couples worry about. How should they declare their relationship to the others? Where should they go on a date? Should they start holding hands in public? Where should they build their home? When should they start a family? How many children does Touka want?

But reality is never a bed of roses. It could be the holy knight who escorts you to an idyllic paradise, or it could be the dark lord who drags you into a hellish nightmare. It enjoys acting God and playing with its living toys. Depending on its mood, it will grind the tranquility of any peaceful moment into ashes, leaving behind a hysterical laughter and a mortified you. It is heaven and hell combined, such is life.

Tragedy after tragedy, the world is as wrong as it is. Kaneki understood a long time ago that he is the main character or a tragic story. Instead of being all lovey-dovey and troubled about trivial couple stuff, he has to worry about their lives, their safety. He also has to worry about the human society, the ghoul society, the CCG, the Goat. He has a bigger responsibility now. He is no longer a useless half-ghoul he used to be. He is, after all, the One-Eyed King and the leader of Goat.

Kaneki thought he has seen it all in his mere 23 years of life. He was afraid of falling in love, because he was afraid the people he loves will disappear one by one. Each time someone disappears, the beast named loneliness comes back and bites him. He tried to protect them, but he was too weak. The excruciating pain of losing his loved ones is choking him to death. The only way to avoid being consumed by the feeling of grief is to not have anything to lose in the first place. Every day he wondered what kind of place he will die today, and what will happen to his corpse after that. Every damn day, he was already mentally prepared to die. To die alone, that was what he used to desire. But now, he doesn't want to avoid it anymore; he wants to prevent it. He doesn’t want to survive; he wants to _live_. Touka's existence gives him newfound strength. Together, he believes, they will triumph. For the first time in his life, Kaneki can’t wait to watch how his destiny unfolds.

They stare into each other's eyes for a while and share one last kiss, before getting up and ready to face yet another day in their life as a ghoul. But this time, Kaneki is not alone anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> 20th May 2017 - the day we got blessed with the greatest news of all: the #TouKen ship of Tokyo Ghoul has officially set sail. Several days have passed, but I'M STILL NOT OVER CHAPTER 125!!!
> 
> Hello Tokyo Ghoul fans! This is my first published fanfiction! Well, I visualize this scene better as a manga, but too bad I suck in both drawing and writing lol. Since I suck less in writing, so… ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Honestly I’m disappointed in myself for only managing to vomit about 2k of words. Hopefully a kind soul finds this scene interesting and draws a short doujin for it.
> 
> I've written fanfictions before, but all of them are half-assed and can't be published. But when I read Chapter 125, my whole world turned upside down worshipping Ishida-sensei for this masterpiece, and I told myself I've gotta, I've gotta write this down. However, I needed more time to produce more descriptive ways to illustrate this scene (because I have no talent :') ), but at the same time I wanted to publish this fast before the release of Chapter 126 or else it may not be relevant anymore ;_;
> 
> Basically the entire series of Tokyo Ghoul involves blood, gory & insanity, but Chapter 125 stands out as the oddest but most heartwarming chapter of all. Kaneki's life has been so fucked up, he is well-deserving of a whole chapter just about him and Touka explicitly having sex. I'm so glad I lived in the correct timeline to witness the birth of this chapter. All hail Ishida-sensei! OTL
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Constructive feedback are much appreciated. My Twitter is @muny0ke if you wanna hit me up. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> PS: The title of this fanfiction is so holy please forgive my unauthorized usage of TK’s “symbol of Tokyo Ghoul” but I hope I did justice to its name!!


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